STORM WARNING FOR CAYMAN

Residents of the Cayman Islands have been put on alert for an active tropical wave east of the Windward Islands that's heading our way.

In a Wednesday afternoon update, the National Hurricane Center said conditions favour development with the system having a 70 per cent chance of becoming a fully-fledged storm over the next 5 days.

“The system has become more organised from the previous update with tropical depression development expected within the next few days as the system moves west-northwest over the Caribbean.”

Crucially, the current forecast track takes the system over the Cayman Islands by Monday.

The Cayman Islands National Weather Service has advised that from the current update, the system is expected to bring fresh to strong winds with rough seas (Small craft should continue to exercise caution over open waters), and thunderstorms with an accumulation of about 2-6 inches of rainfall mostly over the Sister Islands on Monday.

“Given the time frame, there is still uncertainty concerning the intensity and track of the system. We urge residents to monitor the developments of this system as we will be providing updates on any forecast change and what that would mean for the Cayman Islands.”

This is the latest in a recent spate of storm activity in what has to date been a relatively quite hurricane season.

Hurricane Fiona pounded Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic this past weekend. By Wednesday it had rapidly developed into the season's first Category 3 hurricane battering the Turks and Caicos Islands and southern Bahamas. On its current path Fiona will track near Bermuda and then threaten Atlantic Canada in the coming days, according to the Weather Channel.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gaston formed on Tuesday in the Atlantic well north of the Caribbean and posed no immediate threat to land.

But for Cayman and islands in the southern Caribbean, the concern is now on the new weather system that’s showing signs of organisation.

The US National Hurricane Center reports that additional development is expected and a tropical depression is likely to form within the next few days as the system moves westward to

west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea - in the direction of the Cayman Islands.

Already the NHC is advising “interests in the Windward Islands should closely monitor the progress of this system as heavy rainfall and gusty winds could affect these islands beginning on Wednesday.

From Wednesday, the system’s formation chance through 48 hours was rated at medium or 60 per cent. However, the formation chance through 5 days was rated as high at 80 per cent.